Jain Journal 1994 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 4

148
JAIN JOURNAL
It goes without saying that the credit goes to Pandit Pagariya for undertaking the difficult task of editing such a text based on two old Mss. Though he has not given any variant readings in the footnotes by which we can sometimes verify the readings embodied in the text, the edition seems to be quite reliable and readable. It is a huge work and it needs meticulous care for editing. Pandit Pagariya, the editor of the work, with his erudition and lofty scholarship, has written an elaborate Introduction in Hindi containing an account of the author and a detailed summary of the text. This summary will help the reader to understand the meaning of the text, even though no Hindi translation is provided. He has also discussed the style of the author. The work is interesting for the history of Jaina narratives and also for depicting the then life style of India.
The Prakrit language found in the text does not seem to be very old. In most of the cases the intervocalic non-aspirate consonants are retained, as a result of which the language sounds like Sanskrit. A man of Sanskrit can, therefore, read the book fluently.
We once again congratulate Pandit Pagariya and the L. D, Institute of Indology for bringing out such a treasure of Prakrit which not only throws some light on 'Gujarata's great contribution to Prakrit and Jaina literature, but also on the literary and cultural traditions of Gujarat in the early mediaeval period'. hope the text will be received well and will be studied extensively at a later period.
Satya Ranjan Banerjee
MANORAMA-KAHA of Vardhamanasuri-a Prakrit text edited by Pt. Rupendra Kumar Pagariya, L. D. Institute of Indology, Ahmedabad, 1983, Price Rs. 66,00
Prior to the publication of Muni Suvratasämicarita, the L. D. Institute of Indology published Manorama kāḥā of Vardhamanasuri in 1983. Pt. R. K. Pagariya with his painstaking labour and characteristic accuracy has edited this narrative tale from a hitherto unpublished manuscript. The Manorama-kahā was composed in prose and verse by Vardhamanasuri in 1140 v. s. (=1083-84 A.D.) at Dhandhuka in North Gujarat. It is an extensive Dharmakatha kavya in Prakrit. It contains nearly 80 stories and a rich material for linguistic and cultural studies. It has an elaborate introduction in Hindi.
Pt. R. K. Pagariya is to be congratulated for editing this text; and I believe all lovers of Prakrit will welcome this narrative tale,
Satya Ranjan Banerjee